


we don't need names

by killerbsan (oh_captain)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coraline AU, Daenerys Targaryen-centric, F/M, Gen, Kid Fic, Magic, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23011861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oh_captain/pseuds/killerbsan
Summary: "The Pink Palace? You?" He asked in surprise. "My uncle owns the Pink Palace. He won't rent to people with kids."The comment has her putting her hands on her hips as she looked to him, narrowed eyed. "What do you mean?""I'm not supposed to talk about it." He admitted nervously. "Listen, we can--""Jon!" His name being called distantly made them both look up."I think someone's calling you." Daenerys said, a bit teasingly.it's a coraline au
Relationships: Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon Snow & Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

Daenerys didn't see why they had to move.

Rhaegar was just fine at his _old_ job, she was failing to see why he took on the new job that took them to the literal middle of nowhere. She and Viserys were just _fine_ at their old schools, and not these dumb "special" boarding schools that Rhaegar had them enrolled in.

Truthfully, though, if anyone was more upset than her about having to leave all of their old friends, it was Viserys. He was _constantly_ on his phone, and he never wanted to hang out with Daenerys anymore. He especially was meaner than usual the entire time he sulked in the passenger seat.

The car ride had been near silent, with Viserys in such a foul mood, only a 13 year old could be in. Daenerys herself, all of 10, felt it was rather unfair. All of it, every last inch of the situation.

How someone could sulk in the passenger seat, she would never know, she had thought from her place in the back.

Actually seeing the place, she had been surprised. It was pink. A sign that took her a minute to read properly proclaimed it "The Pink Palace." It hardly looked like a palace, in truth, but Daenerys just wrinkled her nose a little and looked to Rhaegar.

"The moving trucks already here. Listen, there are only two bedrooms, okay--" Rhaegar started, warning them again.

Viserys was out of the car before it even really stopped, ditching them to no doubt claim his space. Daenerys unbuckled next, quickly, and slipped from the car while Rhaegar sighed.

She needed air, anyway. And what better way to get it than to explore her new area?

She looked at her oldest brother as he got out, his own face a bit stressed at the sight of the truck. Ever since their father had died, and Rhaegar had rushed to get himself declared a fit guardian, to adopt his siblings, he always seemed to look stressed.

Daenerys could still remember the court room, and the interviews, but that was neither here nor there anymore, was it? This was some drippy, wet, new adventure.

Maybe Rhaegar needed space too.

"I'm gonna explore." She said.

"Uh-uh. Not unless you get some rainboots on. I don't want you tracking mud everywhere." Rhaegar tried, but she was already running off, bouncing white blonde curls. She wanted to look through what was once no doubt a garden, pausing only to break herself off a piece of branch to act as what Irri had once called a dowsing rod. 

Daenerys had heard a little about the Pink Palace and it's landmarks, but she had asked _unlike_ Viserys.

 _Walking paths_ , he had read from what looked like a blocky website promising cheap rent, _and an old well near the property_. _Friendly neighbors_ , he added. 

So, she set out on finding those paths, to walk on them. 

Daenerys was successful, happily skipping down the cobblestone, only pausing on the path as rocks fell in front of her feet. She quickly looked up to see where they came from. A swish of a tail was all she caught, and she gasped, eyebrows raising.

What could it be, she wondered? A cat? A squirrel? A skunk? She kept moving lest it be that last one.

She focused on looking high and low, turning in circles and trying to parse out her surroundings for the mystical well.

But, it seemed fruitless, and her exploration was turning into a let down of just non stop mud and grey skies. The truth was, this place was dreary. It seemed muggy, but not all the way cold, making her sweat in her jacket just a bit.

The crunch of leaves made her turn from her contemplation of the sky, to whirling around to find a kid on a bike watching her. Daenerys was frozen, as she took him in, up the hill above her. He was wearing, of all things, a wolves mask.

She screamed though, hands coming up to defend herself as he suddenly charged down the small slope to reach her. Impact didn't happen, by some miracle, prompting her to look up from where she had fallen.

The kid scrambled off his bike to help her up.

"Oh, s-sorry, sorry. Are you alright?" He asked, mask coming off. He's not much older than her, is her first thought. He's got wild black curls himself, not much taller than her, all pale skin, and dark clothes.

"I'm fine, but what were you thinking?" She demanded. 

He flushed at that, frowning. "If you weren't so jumpy--"

"What person sneaks up on somebody?" She scoffed.

He was backing off now, not offering to help her up. Which was _fine._ She didn't need help anyway, she grumbled as she stood on her own, rubbing the mud off her clothes futilely. Rhaegar was gonna be so mad.

"I haven't seen you before." He's still frowning as he says it. 

"I just moved here." She crossed her arms.

"Just moved here." He picked up her dowsing rod. "From where? What is this?"

"Give it back." Daenerys demanded and he hesitated, as if considering it. She didn't let him consider it long, before she snatched it back herself, ignoring how his mouth opened to protest. "I was trying to find that old well. My brother said there was one near here."

"With a branch?" The kid shook his head in confusion. "Well, you found it. Stomp too hard and you'll fall in it."

"Found it?" She repeated in confusion, before looking where his gloved hand pointed. She looked down to see a ring of mushrooms around her. She gasped and jumped out of it while the boy came forward to move the mud on top of it off. 

Underneath, he revealed a wooden lid of sorts and Daenerys knelt beside him to look in as he lifted the edge up. 

"They say it so deep, if you fall in and look up, you'll see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day." He told her, voice quiet, before dropping the covering back down. The clatter in contrast makes her jump.

She swallowed in some fear at the idea of it, before looking to the boy, meeting grey eyes that are already watching her.

"I'm Jon." He finally offered his name. "Jon Snow."

"Daenerys." She said back.

"Dany." He said with a grin. "That's a cool name."

"Not Dany. Daenerys." She frowned at him. "Nobody calls me Dany."

But he's smiling instead of frowning and her own frown is struggling to stay in place in the face of it. "Whatever you say, Dany." 

She groaned at him, rolling her eyes. But her aggravation melted away as a black cat brushed up against Jon's leg. The swish of its tail is familiar, she thinks. "Is that your cat?"

"My cat? No, he's feral. Though, I do feed him sometimes." Jon admitted, petting at the cat. "Sometimes he brings me dead things."

Daenerys made a face at that too. "Ew."

Jon flushed at the word. "Where'd you move from?" He changed the subject, near defensively. "Valyria?"

She scoffed at the idea. "No! We moved here from the crownlands. King's Landing." She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "And now I'm living in the Pink Palace with my brothers."

"The Pink Palace? You?" He asked in surprise. "My uncle _owns_ the Pink Palace. He won't rent to people with kids."

The comment has her putting her hands on her hips as she looked to him, narrowed eyed. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not supposed to talk about it." He admitted nervously. "Listen, we can--"

"Jon!" His name being called distantly made them both look up.

"I think someone's calling you." Daenerys said, a bit teasingly.

Jon flushed again and she was glad to see it. "Well, it was--it was nice meeting you."

"Jon!" Came the call again.

She cocked a brow, and watched as he picked up his bike from the mud slowly. 

"But, if I was you, I'd put that branch down." He nodded to where she was still clutching it in her hand.

"Why?" She demanded, too imperious by far.

"Because, the uh, the branch. It's poison oak." He said in sympathy, and with that, he's taking off, laughing softly as he pulled his mask down.

Daenerys gasped as she tossed it away from her, blowing a raspberry after the young man.

But, with him and his cat gone, she looked back to the well. 

Curiosity had her leaning down to find out just how deep it was. She'd seen in a movie someone drop something down a well and count until it hit the bottom. So, through the hole on the cover of the well, she dropped a nearby pebble and waited for the sound of it landing. 

_1, 2, 3, 4, 5-_ -plop!

She gasped softly this time before trying to peer down into the inky blackness below.


	2. Chapter 2

Daenerys itched at her palms in a distracted trance, staring out the window where it rained. The stool in front of the sink wasn't really tall enough for her to even look out the window, so she was having to stretch on her tiptoes. She snapped back to reality at Rhaegar clearing his throat, and she lined up the seeds they had brought with them on the windowsill. Green peppers, bleeding hearts, pumpkin and squash. Even some lemon tree seeds.

"So, did you have fun exploring yesterday?" Rhaegar asked in mild distraction, the sound of key's tapping pausing for only a few seconds.

"I found the well." She climbed down from the stool, and started to put it away. "I almost fell into it."

That only earned a distant laugh from him, his eyes still locked on his laptop. She wasn't sure that was the right reaction she wanted. 

"I could have _died._ " She emphasized.

Still, that just got a hum, so she sighed a bit.

"Can I go out? Maybe we can start gardening!" Daenerys went to her brothers side, excited and pleading. 

"No, Daenerys, it's pouring outside. What did I tell you about the mud? You still haven't cleaned it up from yesterday." He looked to her only once, before his eyes were back on the screen.

"But, that wasn't my fault, Viserys locked me out--" she tried.

"I asked you to put on your rainboots." He said, reminding her in a little annoyance. It made her feel indignant. 

"If I put my rain boots on today can we go outside?" She pressed on. "Come on, Rhaegar, I want stuff growing by the time my friends come! Isn't that why we moved here?"

He breathed in deeply. "Something like that. But, you know, since the accident…"

"But that wasn't _my_ fault." She said, because it wasn't. Their father's accident was simply… an accident. 

"I never said it was." Rhaegar looked to her there, very seriously. "Listen, you still have unpacking to do. Lot's of unpacking."

"But Viserys--" She waved a hand to where Viserys had locked himself in the room upstairs.

"Then why don't you explore some more? This house is 150 years old. Go… count all the doors and windows. List everything that's red. I-I'm just a little busy right now." He paused in his typing to rub at his face. Then looked to her, as if he was struck by a thought. "By the way, some kid came by and left this on the porch for you." And he's picking up what she had thought was a roll of newspaper beside him. Now though, she sees it's too big. She took it from him in mild confusion, but opened it up.

_Hey Dany, look what I found in my dad's old trunk. Look familiar? Jon_

And there was a crude little wolf face by his name. Opening it up further makes her feel a little off kilter. 

It's a doll with tanned skin like her, and white yarn hair, like hers, and black buttons for eyes. It's even wearing one of her nice blue dresses. 

"It's a little me. That's so cool." She was surprised by how thoughtful it was, but also maybe… a bit creepy? How did Jon have this? 

"Go, go, go." Rhaegar waved her away and she giggled but did as told. She, of course, felt it necessary to take a pen and notepad from Rhaegar's things, before "exploring". But exploring isn't much of anything of real note, besides leaky windows, and carpets with lumps, and silver fish in the very pink bathroom. 

She does unpack one box in the parlor room. The one filled with their old trinkets from their mom and dad. She sets them on the mantle very, _very_ carefully, and feels a sense of accomplishment at seeing them under possibly the saddest painting she's ever seen of a blond child crying over dropped ice cream. She makes sure to write it down though, just like she has everything else, counting the windows (four of them) and seeing no more doors. 

And with that, she went to grab her new doll, only to pause at it not being where she thought she set it. She looked around, thinking of Viserys and his cruel pranks, but she spotted it easily enough on the ground, slightly behind one of Rhaegar's big boxes.

"How did you get there?" She asked the doppel-Daenerys, abandoning the pen and notepad on the ground to come forward and claim the doll. She shoved the big box out of her way to get to it, revealing a surprise. A small door.

She paused with her hand around the doll to stare at it. Daenerys isn't sure what to think for a moment, but only a few seconds.

Where did that go? What was it for? It was so small, it could be mistaken for a cabinet. Unless it was a cabinet. Was it a cabinet? What was stored in it? She moved the big box as much as she could further out of the way to see it fully in the light.

It was the perfect size for her, in the least. Viserys might struggle through it, but Daenerys was just right. That was to say, if she _could_ crawl into it. She felt the key hole through the wall paper, tracing it with her small finger, before leaning back some.

"Hey, Rhaegar! Where does this door go?" She shouted.

"I'm--I'm a bit busy, Daenerys--" He called back.

"I think it's locked!" Daenerys shouted again. Waited a beat, with no response. "Pleeeeease!"

Rhaegar groaned, but was in the room not soon after to see what door she was referencing.

"Listen, if I do this for you, you've got to let me work. Do we have a deal?" He demanded.

She nodded fast and hard. "Deal, deal, deal."

He breathed in and out before moving to go back to the kitchen. She waited patiently by the door until he came back, with a key. 

It was an odd one, it had a button on the end of it, she noted. 

She could barely contain herself as Rhaegar ripped through the wallpaper of the door first, so eager, smile growing. Her grip on the doll got tighter too, in her excitement, waiting to see what was behind it. 

So the let down came fast and hard at seeing bricks. 

"Bricks?" She asked, obviously let down.

"I'm sorry, kid." He winced some. "They must have closed this off when they divided up the house."

"Then why is the door so small?" She furrowed her brows, looking back to it. 

"I don't know. But a deal's a deal." He pointed at her with the key. "I have to finish what I'm doing. No more distractions, this paperwork has a deadline, okay?"

She sighed, but nodded. "Okay." She was still pouting though. Daenerys closed it herself, as Rhaegar walked back to the kitchen.

  
  


The storm hadn't let up by dinner, but Viserys had at least come out of his room for it. Because it was his room, Rhaegar and Daenerys were coming to understand. She had no place in it, and any of her boxes that got put in there, found their way conveniently out in the hall.

The casserole and chard Rhaegar makes looks… disgusting, and there's no way Daenerys is letting any of it pass her lips. Viserys seems to have the same idea.

"This looks disgusting." He said point blank, looking at Rhaegar. "Daenerys could make a better meal and she's ten. This looks like… slime."

"Well, it's either slime or bed time." Rhaegar warned. "Which is it gonna be."

"I'm not five years old!" Viserys snapped back, glaring. "I don't need a _bedtime_."

Rhaegar did that deep breath of his again, something he had started to do often, before he breathed out. "Yes, I know that--" and so the argument was beginning.

Daenerys simply took her doll and started towards Rhaegar's room, figuring she was sharing with him again. He complained she stole the covers, but she wanted to say vice versa. 

She brushed her teeth, changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed with little else to do. "Goodnight, little me." She looked to her new doll.

It could almost be smiling at her, and she smiled back, before holding it closer to her at the sound of Viserys and Rhaegar yelling.


	3. Chapter 3

It was the squeaks that woke her. Just her, Rhaegar was still deep asleep, snoring as he does. She blurrily looked to see what it was, and caught a small shadow of a figure running out the door.

She should be scared, but she's not entirely sure this isn't a dream, so… she follows it. Creeps from bed as quiet as a mouse to follow the little hopping creature, moving so fast she almost has to run to keep up.

Down the stairs, down the hall, into the parlor, to--to the little door.

Daenerys opens it slowly, hesitantly, staring at the soft lights that glow out of it. It looks nothing like it did during the day. Instead, to her shock, it looks like… like a beautiful tunnel of sorts. Like nothing she's ever seen. 

She sat there stunned for a minute, before she's following what looks to be a mouse down the tunnel as it squeaks at her. Beckoning her to follow.

Following down the soft tunnel, leads her to coming back out where she was before. It's the same parlor, the same house no doubt. But there are little differences, that go right over her head. And overall the sound of humming. 

She follows it, and gasps at who she sees in the brightly lit kitchen. "Rhaegar?"

And he turned with a big smile. "You're just in time for supper, hon." But the gasp that comes from her has nothing to do with his words.

"You're not Rhaegar." She pointed. "Rhaegar doesn't have b-b-bu--"

"Buttons?" He finished for her. He set the bowl of whatever he was mixing down to tap the side of his button eye. "Do you like them? I'm your Other Brother, silly. Now go tell your other Other Brother that supper's ready." He said as he turned to open the oven, revealing a golden turkey inside.

Daenerys is rooted for a moment, mouth watering, digesting this information, before Rhaegar spoke again as he grabbed a dragon faced oven mitt. 

"Well, go on. He's in his room." The Other Rhaegar prompted. 

And who was she to refuse her brother. She did as told, heading to Viserys's room. Knocking before hearing the call to come in, Viserys smiled at her as she swung the door open.

"Daenerys, you're here. Finally, I've been waiting for you." And his phone and sour expression were gone.

She would think it a trick, but his eyes were buttons too, and surely this is the wildest dream she's had, but she's smiling back. Finally, Viserys wanted to play again. "Rhaegar says supper's ready."

"I love dinner." Viserys said in teasing. "Come now, help me up. You know my old bones never work right." He prompted, hands coming out. A child himself, it's a funny concept. An obvious lure.

She hesitated only a second before grinning and doing as told. Stepping into the room lets her see its set up with most of her things. Her stuffed animals that call greetings to her, and the dragonfly lights she had once wanted to hang were actual dragonflies on wire that glowed. It was amazing to watch, to see. There was even a photo from school of her and Irri and Doreah where they _waved_ at her.

She looked back to Viserys as she got close enough. Her hands took his, only for him to suddenly stand and start spinning her around, making peels of laughter leave her. 

"Oh, Daenerys, thank you for this dance! If there was only music. We must sing very loudly to make our own!" He decided as he spun her around in circles. And dance and sing they did until he was dragging her to the kitchen, for food. 

Actually seated at a real table is unbelievable. There are traintracks on the table, and a little toy train to boot, but it all seems so… so much. Daenerys looked to Other Rhaegar for guidance here.

"We say thanks." He prompted.

"Thank you." She said dutifully. "It looks amazing."

He grinned. "It's all for you."

It's a full spread, and hesitantly she picks off a drumstick, biting into it near ravenously. It's amazing, it tastes so good she's digging right in.

"Hungry, aren't you?" Other Rhaegar asked, teasing.

Daenerys flushed some, but instead scooped mashed potatoes and sweet peas onto her plate, filling it up. She had skipped dinner and this was so good. "It's amazing." She finally managed after swallowing. "Is there any gravy?"

"Well, there's the gravy train." And just like that, there's a choo choo, and it's headed towards her. It even _pours_ by itself.

"Wow." Daenerys managed. "This is… amazing."

"Do you want anything else? Corn? More mashed potatoes? Sweet peas?" Rhaegar pushed, sounding concerned. 

"I'm… I'm really thirsty." She admitted.

"Any requests?" And there's a drink dispenser lowering from the ceiling. It feels very Doctor Suess, and if that's normal, then maybe this is too, Danerys told herself. 

"Mango milkshake?" She asked.

And it stopped in front of her, letting her fill her cup up. It was _perfect_ , upon her first drink. Exactly what she wanted.

When she finished, she looked to see her plate had been cleared and a cake was in front of her. She gasped as it sprouted candles and writing. 

_Welcome Home Daenerys!_

"Home?" She asked.

"Of course!" Rhaegar agreed, tucking a blond lock behind her ear. "We've been waiting for you."

"For me?" Daenerys asked in surprise. 

"Yep, it wasn't the same here without you." Viserys smiled at her.

"I didn't even know I had other brother's." She crossed her arms, looking considering.

"Of course you do." Rhaegar dismissed, smiling at her. "Everyone does."

"Really?" Daenerys asked in some surprise, brows furrowing. Was that true?

A hummed agreement from Rhaegar is the confirmation she gets. "And as soon as you're done eating, I thought we might play a game." His fingers tapped on the table at the words.

Daenerys was confused on that too. Rhaegar was too old for games, he always said. "You mean like hide and go seek?"

"Perfect!" Rhaegar declared happily. He was acting so unlike himself, Daenerys was getting whiplash it felt like. "Hide and seek in the rain! How does that sound?"

"What rain?" But as soon as the words leave her mouth, lightning strikes and thunder follows, the sound of pitter patter starting all over again. She gasped, before looking back to Rhaegar. "What about the mud?"

"We love mud!" Viserys assured her. "Mud facials, mud pies--"

"Mud baths." Rhaegar ended. "It's great for poison oak." And he held out his hand for her infected one, which she gave him to inspect. 

Daenerys hadn't _told_ Rhaegar about the poison oak. "How'd you know--" but she caught herself. "I'd love to play, but I'd better get home to my other brothers."

"But we're your other brothers." Rhaegar laughed at her a little, as she stood and backed away. 

"I mean my other Other brothers. Rhaegar number 1?" Daenerys explained. She bumped into Viserys who was suddenly crowding her in between them but Viserys just laughed and rubbed at her back gently. "I think I should get to bed."

"Of course, hon. It's all made up." Other Rhaegar assured. 

"But--" Daenerys wanted to protest that it didn't _feel_ made up.

"Come along, sleepy head." Viserys prompted, guiding her out of the kitchen to follow Rhaegar. Up the stairs all the way back to her tricked out room.

She was all too happy to climb into that bed, and when she looked to Rhaegar, sitting beside her, he had a cannister of mud.

"Oh." She managed. "For the poison oak."

She thought it was an interesting feel, the cold mud salve on her poison oak rash, but oddly wet and soothing. It did help with the itch quite quickly. As soon as it's applied, she's yawning and laying down.

The sing songy words of her other brothers help her drift to sleep.

_See you soon_


	4. Chapter 4

Daenerys woke up in Rhaegar's bed, alone, with pale sunlight shining through. It still seemed overcast from yesterday, which would mean Rhaegar would be hesitant to let her play outside. But even more disappointing was that none of that dream had been real.

It had been beyond wonderful, a world dedicated to her, and she loved it. She hoped more dreams like that followed, how she missed Viserys and her playing together. In some distraction, she went to itch her palm, only to gasp as she looked down.

Her poison oak. It was gone. 

She rushed to investigate the door down below. If her poison oak was gone, then maybe it hadn't been a dream at all. But, upon opening it, it showed her the same brick wall it had the first time. All of her excitement died down, and yet again her hopes were crushed by the squealing of the doors little hinges.

Telling Rhaegar about it though, left her feeling lacking.

"You need to take your multivitamin." He said as he poured himself coffee. "You probably weren't touching poison oak, but if you were. You need to be more careful please."

Daenerys sighed a little, feeling a bit crushed.

Rhaegar, though sighed. "Why don't you go visit those actors downstairs? I bet they would love to hear about your dreams."

"Renly and Loras?" Daenerys asked him, checking to make sure, and also slightly miffed and dubious. She may be ten, but she _knew_ when she was being handed off. Rhaegar must have already talked to them about her visiting. "Really, Rhaegar?"

"You might like them. Give them a chance." Rhaegar smiled at her, a wan thing. 

Get out of his hair, he didn't say.

She sighed but caved.

After getting dressed, she exited out of the front door only to almost trip over the pile of packages outside their door. Curiously, she picked them. 

Giantsbane. Giantsbane. Giantsbane. All labeled for Giantsbane. That must be the upstairs neighbor, Daenerys realised and looked up. She could run them up no problem, plus, Rhaegar _said_ to meet the neighbors. 

She's happily going up the side of the metal stairs on the house, carrying the overfill in her arms, no doubt about to drop them. It only takes her a wibbly minute to get all the way up there, and then another second to figure out how to knock without dropping anything. 

When no answer comes, she taps the door again to knock, only this time it unlatches.

The inside is dark, and kind of gross. Boxes of take out sit on surfaces, and it obviously hasn't been cleaned in awhile. Is that a chicken? Her notes are disrupted by a hand closing the door. 

"SECRET!" A voice booms and she screams, dropping everything as she whirled around to find a giant man, with thick red hair and a thick red beard. "Jumping circus mice not ready, little girl!"

And what a strong northern accent. Jon's was one thing, but this guys is another entirely. Stronger. 

"Circus?" Daenerys asked, before taking in the scattered mail. "Oh, oh no. I brought you your mail."

The man picked up a few of them and smelled them to Daenerys alarm and confusion. She didn't say anything, even though she wanted to. "Mmm, new cheese samples."

Is that what they were? There _had_ been a funky smell to them. 

"Very clever to use this mix up to sneak upstairs and peek at my mice." He allowed, wagging a big calloused finger at her. 

"Sorry." Daenerys said, quite politely, she might add. Very graceful and without even a sniff at the pure smell of BO this guy was throwing off. "I'm Daenerys Targaryen."

"And I am the amazing Tormund Giantsbane! But you call me Mr. G, because amazing I know that I already am." She can't tell if the old man is joking or not. 

"You see, Daenys," Tormund crouched some, as if to relay a secret.

The indignation came fast. "Dae _nerys_." She corrected vehemently.

"My new songs go oompah, oompah, but the mice, all they know is toodle toot. Is nice, but not so _amazing._ " He continued as if he didn't hear her. "So now, I switch to stronger cheese, and soon…. Watch out!" He jumped some making her flinch and him laugh.

"I will see you later. Dan...iella." and he's back in his apartment.

Daenerys huffed at that. " _Daenerys_." She corrected to his door, before going back down the steps. She was having fun though, repeating his accent and words, laughing to herself.

But, as she walked away from the house, she turned at a call. "Hey, Daenys!"

She looked up at Mr. G. 

"THE MICE SAID GIVE YOU A MESSAGE! THEY SAID, DO NOT GO THROUGH LITTLE DOOR! DO YOU KNOW OF SUCH A THING?" he called loudly.

She gaped at him. _How did he know that?_ More importantly _was he talking to mice?_ Most importantly _it wasn't a dream?_

All rapid, all dismissed. That door was all bricked up. There was no way. He was crazy, just like Rhaegar warned.

"Bah, so sorry! It's nothing. Sometimes the mice are little mixed up!" And he's headed back inside. "They even get your name wrong. They call you Daenerys, not Daenys. Sometimes, perhaps, I'm too hard on them. Not Daenys at all."

Daenerys feels more than a twitch of annoyance at that.

Even his mice can get it right. Or maybe that's the joke.

Either way, she continues to walk towards the basement of the house. That was the original goal, after all. 

Renly and Loras had been nice enough to visit them when they moved in, brought a quiche that the Targaryen's had eaten in one day. It _had_ been delicious, Daenerys would admit. 

Now, at their near extravagant front door, Daenerys reached up to the brace piece knocker, colored green in places, to tap a rhythm into it. The near immediate barking of dogs makes her jump.

"Renly, your dogs! Control them please!" What must be Loras, and is proven to be as the door swung open to let them spill out. Rhaegar would probably know every single breed, but to her, they are simply black little dogs that yip.

"Don't worry, they don't bite." Loras promised as they swarmed around her, sniffing and licking and yapping. "It's good to see you, Daenys, would you like to come in? Me and Renly were just arguing over what to watch on tv."

"It's Daenerys, Loras." She said, insistent that _someone_ get her name right.

"Hey there, Da--Daenysmc Renly can't seem to remember her name either it seemed.

"Daenerys." She corrected, as Loras walked her further into his home. There are scripts everywhere, papers, and boxes, but thats to be expected. More startling in their living room, are stuffed dogs. 

She gasped at them.

"Daenys? What did you want to drink? Oolong or Jasmine?" Loras was asking all the while, but paused at the sound, to look at the stuffed dogs. "I know, freaky right? Renly doesn't do good with loss, so he gets them stuffed. And I love him, so I… let him."

Daenerys giggled a little at Loras as he shook his head in mild disgust. "Don't talk to him about them, he's rather proud and I can't stomach it. It's very Norman Bates."

"Who?" Daenerys asked.

"Ah, no one." Loras waved a hand. "Oolong or Jasmine?"

"Jasmine sounds nice." She said as she sat on the couch, the dogs jumping up with her. 

Quieter now, they just all want to sniff and lick her it seemed, making her squirm and laugh in her seat at the cold, wet press of nose on her. 

"Jasmine it is." Loras said, loud enough for Renly to hear. And not soon after, Renly came out with a tray of taffy and a few cups for tea along with a steaming pot.

"Go on, have some. Loras's grandmother sent it, from Braavos. Best in the world apparently." Renly encouraged.

Loras scowled at him a little but then smiled when Renly smiled at him. "After, Renly might read your tea leaves if you aren't careful."

"Read my tea leaves?" She asked in surprise, and confusion. Did they say something?

"They'll tell me your future." Renly shrugged a little. "Would you like that?"

Daenerys bobbed her head in a hesitant, cautious nod. Like magic? She reached out to try to take a taffy, but found it most impossible to get it off from the stack. How _old_ was this taffy, she was left to wonder, because there was no liberation no matter how hard she pulled. 

She gave up rather quickly to boot, at the impossible task. 

"It was worth a shot." Loras grumbled lowly. 

"Go on, dear, drink up." Renly sent him a chastising glare before smiling back at Daenerys. 

She did as told, swallowing the fresh, flowery taste down.

"Not all the way!" Renly warned, and she stopped herself, to only sip before handing it over to Renly.

"Oh, Dany. Dany, Dany, Dany, I see danger in your future." He said in surprise and worry.

She blinked at that, leaning forward some to try and see what he saw. "I see a very ominous hand--"

"You're holding it wrong." Loras scoffed, and turned the cup. "Look, there's a love interest in your future, someone _very_ tall--"

"Loras, stop it! She's 8!" Renly pointed at her.

"What's better, telling an 8 year she'll fall in love or that she's in danger, Renly?" Loras shot back. 

"I'm 10." She corrected to deaf ears. "Well, what should I do?"

They looked to her there. 

"Acquire a very tall step ladder--" Loras started and renly hit his arm, making him laugh. 

"Be very, very careful." Renly warned her.

"Ren! Stop it!" Loras looked to Renly in alarm again. "You're gonna freak her out! She's never gonna come by again."

"Speaking of, why did you come by?" Renly looked at her, as she got her doll and set her saucer down. "Was there something you wanted to tell us?"

She thought about it but decided against telling them about her magical dream. "No, I guess not. Thanks for the tea, though." And she's headed for the door, leaving the mess of dogs behind, to let herself out of their peculiar home.

A fog had rolled in, she noted as she hopped back up the stairs from their basement apartment. Did they have windows? She would have known if they had had windows. Well, what did Renly and Loras know? Danger? This was the second time today she was she had heard this and it was getting a bit repetitive.

A crunch of a leaf behind her does make her pause on the way to her front door. Someone is following her. So, she paces as regally as she can, in the opposite direction of the door, and she can hear the not so subtle stifled breathing behind what is surely a wolves mask. A peek over her shoulder reveals it to be so, and she tried not to grin as she continued to pretend not to notice him, until she jumped at him, making him yelp, as she pulled the mask off his face. 

He looked equally surprised and shocked, before he was laughing, holding his lumpy chest.

"Hey there, stalker!" She greeted, smiling herself at the sound.

"I wasn't stalking _you_! We're hunting banana slugs." He explained.

"We?" She wrinkled her nose in some disgust, but some interest. Banana slugs?

There was a meow as if in response and that black cats head peaked out from the inside of his jacket, to look at her.

She gasped a laugh at seeing the cat cradled so snuggly. "You're cats not wild!" She pointed at it. "He's a wuss puss!"

"What?" Jon asked in alarm, defensive. "He hates getting his feet wet. Jeez!" And he's taking his mask back from her, and placing it to sit on top of his head instead of out right wearing it. And then he was back to looking at the ground, for "banana slugs", no doubt. 

"So, the doll." She embarrassingly still had it in her other hand. She was too old for dolls, she knew. "Did you make it look like me?"

"Oh no, I found it that way. It's older than my uncle, old as the house, probably." The cat climbed out of his jacket to his shoulders, jumping onto the car as Jon passed it.

She watched in interest, following along behind him. "Seriously? My hair, blue dress? It looks just like me."

Jon let out a gasp before he lifted up the fattest slug she had ever seen. "Check it out! He's _huge_!" Jon said in excitement.

Daenerys though, remained impassive in the face of it, feeling a spark of anger. "You're just like them."

"Like who?" He asked, not really paying attention, but inspecting his "prize". 

"My brothers." She crossed her arms, holding the doll to her chest. "They don't listen to me either."

Jon looked to her with a frown before he pulled out his camera from his pocket. It's obviously disposable, but he'd had a goal in mind, it seemed. "Would you mind?"

She sighed but did as directed, taking pictures of him pretending to eat the slug, and blow the slug out of his nose, pretending it was attacking him, and even putting it too near his face. And it _did_ cheer her up, if that had been Jon Snow's goal, made her giggle. 

And without a care, he was tossing the slug away and taking the camera back with a smile, to go right back into his pocket. He looked to her a bit hesitantly though. 

"You know, I've never been inside the Pink Palace." He admitted to her.

"You're kidding." She said, voice turning teasing. "I thought your uncle _owned_ it." 

"He does, but he'd kill me if I went inside. Thinks its dangerous or something." 

"Dangerous." This is the third time she's being told this today. It makes her frown.

"Well, he had an older brother, see. Him and my mom." He said as he drew nearer to the Pink Palace.

"So?" She asked, following along behind him. 

"When they were kids, their brother disappeared. Uncle Ned says he was stolen." Jon explained, looking back at her.

"Stolen?" She repeated. "What do you think?"

"I-I don't know. Maybe she just… ran away." Jon reached the prize, his bike leaned against the steps of the Pink Palace. And right on time it seemed.

"Jon!" Came the call from his uncle.

"I've gotta go." He said in some sadness, looking at her.

The idea of Jon leaving actually filled her with a little bit of sadness also. They had been talking, having fun. "Wait a minute!"

He gave her a sad smile, but was heading off anyway, her words having little effect on the outcome. And with that, he was gone. Leaving her standing at the steps of the Pink Palace all alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Daenerys is more prepared by tonight.

She'd snuck cheese from the kitchen and left it at Rhaegar's door as bait, before crawling into bed with him and falling asleep. And, after a shifty sleep, she heard it. The squeaks. She sat up and looked as the shadow figure of what must be mice were gathering the cheese. 

Daenerys got up as quietly as she could to follow them, Rhaegar's soft snores following her descent down the hall, down the stairs, into the parlour. 

Sliding on her knees, in her nightgown, she was able to peer into that darkness as it lit up for her. All purples and blues, and whites. She watched the mice jump down the growing path, before finally laughing and following them through. 

And just like last time, she can hear Rhaegar humming. She follows it, just like last time too, to find him with an apron on, at the stove, shredding the cheddar over whatever he's cooking. 

"Welcome back, hon." He greeted her. 

She can barely believe she's here _again,_ a rush of excitement filling her, and disbelief in turns. 

"Thank you so much, for such a thoughtful gift." He added. "A wonderful cheddar."

"Cheddar..." Daenerys was confused until it clicked. The mice bait.

"Would you go fetch your brother? I bet he's hungry as a pumpkin by now." Rhaegar's big hand came to pinch her nose lightly, making her laugh, and swat at his hand.

"You mean my other brother?" She corrected in humor.

"Your better brother." Rhaegar dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Go on, he's out in the garden."

"Garden?" Daenerys repeated. She's stealing a strawberry off the table, Rhaegar's laugh following her as she headed out the door. And, there, where there had been nothing growing before, was a filled garden. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before, golden hummingbirds zipping through the night sky as fireflies danced all around, lighting up all the flowers around. There was even a pond with lily pads in it, a walking arch over it, and what looked to be bleeding hearts all around. 

Squashes and pumpkins grew in certain patches, and there were even frogs hopping around. 

All with buttons for eyes, she noted in surprise. 

And she can see Viserys on some sort of praying mantis shaped tractor, growing white flowers all around. 

"This is amazing, Viserys!" She shouted to him.

"It's for you!" Viserys called back with a smile, button eyes shining in the dark at all the glittering lights around her. "It's your garden, Daenerys!" 

She's only caught off guard by yellow flowers attacking her with tickles, causing her to fall down in giggles, trying to escape them, but finding it impossible. 

"Sister in distress!" And Viserys is charging across the garden to get to her. There's a sound of a horn, like a battle charge, and there he is, cutting the stems of the attacking plants. "Tickle no more, dragonsnappers!"and he's catching them before they hit the ground. 

It's all so magical as he presents the bouquet to her, which she takes, looking at the dragons on each end in open awe. "He says it's time to eat."

"Hop up, I wanna show you something." Viserys stretched a hand to her. Daenerys took ot and scrambled onto the praying mantis tractor, which sprouted wings to let her see the garden above. 

It's _her_ she realised as she looked from above. The garden makes a portrait of her. 

"I can't… believe you did this Viserys!" She can't. This was too much, even for him, and it… it tickled as too good to be true in the back of her mind. 

"Rhaegar said you'd like it. He knows you like the back of his hand." Viserys grinned at her. 

Daenerys smiled back, before looking back to the garden. It was… it was beautiful. 

Daenerys chewed her waffle happily, a glass of orange juice beside her. She watched Rhaegar feed the snapdragons, now in a vase, a piece of sausage in surprise. They were meat eaters then?

She had learned about that in school. 

She was only pulled from her fascination by Rhaegar speaking.

"Daenerys, Mr. Giantsbane has invited you to come see the jumping mice perform after dinner." He smiled at her, encouraging.

"Really?" Daenerys asked in surprise. "That know-it-all Jon said it was all in Mr. G's head. I knew he was wrong." 

"Well, everything's right in this world, kid." Viserys promised her. 

"Viserys and I will clean up while you and your "friend" head upstairs." Rhaegar said, scooting her from her chair. 

"My friend?" Daenerys repeated in confusion, as she stood. She walked to the door and opened it to find Jon there. He smiled at her, but his eyes were buttons too. Impossible to smile back. "Oh, good. Another Jon."

He stepped closer to her, silent.

"Hello?" She asked. Prompting for a response, anything usually Jon-like. A snarky comment, something.

"I thought you'd like him a little more if he spoke a little less." Rhaegar smiled at her, encouraging and laughing in some amusement. He clapped Jon's back and squeezed his shoulder and all the while Jon was silent and smiling.

It's wrong. Tickles at her head again. "So he can't talk at all?"

"Nope." Rhaegar agreed.

But Jon was always talking over her, wasn't he? Maybe if this was a dream it wasn't so bad. She thought on it, before smiling. "I like it." She said approvingly.

"Run along then, you two. And have fun." Rhaegar directed Jon to walk, letting the young man guide Daenerys from the kitchen. Daenerys shot a backwards glance at Rhaegar over her shoulder and only received a smile.

Once alone with him on the front porch, though, she turned to look at him. "You're awful cheerful, considering you can't say anything."

Silence met her words and she missed Jon's eyes that would at least acknowledge she said something.

"It didn't hurt, did it? When he--" Jon pointed up, stopping her mid sentence. 

Above, sailing across the night sky, was a tiny glowing blue blimp, headed straight into Mr. G's house. Daenerys forgot her question in wake of running up the steps as quickly as possible, Jon following her as she laughed while throwing the door open.

And inside it's nothing like what she saw this morning. It's lit up, bright with fairy lights, and there's a tiny circus tent just the right size for her and Jon, and no doubt the little performers. And all around is a popcorn machine, and cotton candy cannons. Jon stepped on three pedals just to get her to laugh and she did.

' _Ladies and gentlemen, for to tickle your eyes and ears and making hearts to thump--'_ a voice started, muffled inside the tent. Jon pointed and she abandoned the idea of grabbing popcorn to rush to crawl inside, Jon behind her.

Inside, it seems bigger than on the outside. Like magic, it's expanded to encompass tiny little seats, and circus spot lights that dance across the decorated tent. 

' _I, Tormund Giantsbane, am introducing my astoun-dishing, stupen-dulous and amazing JUMPING MOUSE CIRCUS!'_

Daenerys accepted the cotton candy Jon offered from where it had stuck to his dark coat. She's trying not to think of how weird it is he's without his mask.

The blimp from earlier drops suddenly from the top and hits the ground, unfolding, blooming, to show the mice circus rolling out. 

They're all in little uniforms, red and gold, taking formations with an ease that has Daenerys gasping in awe.

More so when she sees what they spell out in the air. 

"That's my name!" She pointed, and shook Jon's sleeve. 

Music and squeaks sound off, the little mice holding little trumpets and little drums that toot and bang out a rhythm they all start jumping and bouncing to in perfect synchronization. Stars and circles and spirals all around the big ball where the main conductor sits. 

A ramp starts raising, like a tiered cake, and up and up it goes, and Daenerys could _swear_ the tent was not that tall on the outside, as all sorts of instruments are broken out for the mice to play. A formation on the spiraled ramp, before the one at the very top suddenly rose his big ball down. The mice jumped out of the way, landing in these interlocking circles on the bottom, all while leaving the standing monument behind. 

And once every mouse had hit the bottom, the ramp came down to reveal Mr. G, all dressed up as Ring Leader in black and gold and blue.

He's standing tall and proud, and he bows immediately at Daenerys cheering and Jon's clapping. 

"That was great!" Daenerys barely managed to spill out, bursting with the excitement to share her exaltation. 

"Very, very thank you, lady and gentleman." Tormund grinned at them. His buttons are even blue, she noted in surprise.

The conductor rolling back out on his ball makes them all look down. He bounces once, twice, three times on his ball, before the music starts again from their little instruments and they all move in formation up Mr. G's sleeve. Thel last one rolled up over his sleeve to the top of his head, where his top hat obscured it from view.

Daenerys and Jon clapped again, filled with joy at the display. 

"We loved it, Mr. G. It was so, so…" Daenerys was hard pressed to find a word that described the show.

"Ahhh." Mr. G prompted.

"Amazing!" Daenerys filled with a wide smile. 

"You are very welcome, any time you like." Mr. G pht a gloved hand to his heart. "You and also your good friend. Until next time, Daenerys."

And with that he kissed Daenerys hand, his own warm beneath her fingers. She smiled, before looking to Jon, who was watching her already. 

The good mood lasted all the way until she was getting tucked in for bed, a kiss to the temple from Rhaegar sending her to sleep. 

Amazing, was her last coherent thought.


	6. Chapter 6

She woke up in Rhaegar's bed again. Took in the water stained ceiling, and the boring eggshell walls, and groaned at the loss of all those bright colors that filled her dreams.

She turned her head to look at the door, only to perk at what she saw. Crumbles of cheese that lingered. Had it been a dream, then?

She sat up, and raced towards the parlour, footsteps echoing, until she knelt in front of the small door and tried to open it. It didn't budge. She couldn't get a grip good enough to try again, no handle to touch. 

She sucked in a breath of disbelief, a pout already beginning to form. Bit her lip to stop from actively jutting hers out. 

"Daenerys! Get dressed! We're running late!" Rhaegar called. 

She groaned then.

"There were garden squash like balloon animals, and snapdragons!" Daenerys described to Rhaegar as he parked outside the therapist's office. "Oh, and upstairs I saw a real mouse circus. Not pretend like crazy Mr. G's, but a real one."

"You sure you don't want us to come?" Rhaegar asked Viserys, who scowled in disgust. 

"I don't need you to hold my stupid hand, Rhaegar, I'm old enough to do this on my own. Don't even _think_ about getting out of this car. I don't want either of you embarrassing me. And Mr. G isn't crazy, Daenerys, he's drunk." And Viserys is getting out of the car. 

Rhaegar sighed a bit as the door slammed. He didn't pull away until he watched Viserys go in, and then he turned to Daenerys.

"That sounds like a wonderful dream, but I don't want you getting too caught up in them. We're going to go school supply shopping while Viserys is in there, and I don't want you complaining alright?"

Daenerys pouted indignantly at the idea of it, and crossed her arms as Rhaegar finally pulled from his parking spot.

"Alright, so I already preordered your uniforms, but I'm gonna want to see you try yours on to see if it has some growing room. If Viserys grows anything like me, he won't hit his growth spurt until he's 16." Rhaegar is saying as they drive. Daenerys only halfway listens, daydreaming as her eyes look out the window, and watch the dreary buildings pass. It's still so cloudy and grew, even here, and it's kind of getting her down. 

The actual store itself isn't so different, accept the way Rhaegar smiles at the sales attendant as he walks him. That's a nervous sort of smile.

"Hey. It's you again. Elia, right?" And gross, it's grown ups talking. "Car okay?"

The woman, dornish obviously, and sort of pretty, blushed at seeing Rhaegar. But most women did that, so it wasn't anything new. "Oh, oh, yes. You fixed it right up."

Rhaegar smiled at that, relieved. "Good, I would have felt bad if you got stranded at that gas station. Did you take it in yet?"

"I did." She was blushing still, which made her prettier. Gave some color to her oddly pale cheeks. Probably from the lack of sunlight here, Daenerys said. 

She was also waiting to run off, but Rhaegar still had her hand, so she couldn't. 

"Is this your… your daughter?" The woman looked to Daenerys as the young girl shifted.

"What? No. No, this is my little sister. Daenerys. Actually we're here for her uniform, and my brothers." Rhaegar let go of Daenerys hand, allowing the girl to bound off. "Daenerys--" He tried.

The woman giggled some, and so Daenerys decided she liked her. "She can explore. This is always very boring for most children…" and it's all adult talk after that, looking up orders, and talking about bosses. Daenerys doesn't care for it in the least 

But Rhaegar keeps giving her soft looks, he's smiling at her a lot, and Daenerys thinks maybe it's… romantic?

Like on TV. It makes her nose scrunch before she gasped.

Daenerys set her doll aside to pick up the bright red and black gloves, sliding them on. They're a near perfect fit, a little big, but she didn't mind at all. She wiggled her fingers in them before looking to where Rhaegar and the woman were laughing together over something. 

"Rhaegar, Rhaegar, look!" She ran to him, thrusting her hands up.

Rhaegar glanced but shook his head. "Put them back, Daenerys."

She frowned at that. "But we can't get them? I promise I'll wear them!"

"I'm already buying you gloves." He said, now fully looking down at her. "Go put those back, please."

"But the whole school is going to have boring grey clothes. Nobody will have these!" She insisted, wiggling her fingers. "Rhaegar, please!"

"I said no." He said firmly. "Now, Elia has your uniforms."

But her eyes were starting to burn, and that same indignation rose up. She never got what she wanted. 

"Let her help you try them on, okay?" He prompted. "I asked you in the car to listen, can you do that for me?"

She took the gloves off, a sting of… of something bad and unpleasant in her chest at doing as told. She didn't like it one bit, and her nose sniffled some, but she stomped to do as told. 

"My Other Brother would get them." She managed, a bit spiteful. 

"Well, then maybe he should buy all your clothes. Now go, young lady." He pointed. 

Daenerys and Rhaegar were driving back in silence, their bags in the back, allowing her to sit up front. But even that didn't help the sadness and anger over the gloves, and Rhaegar's flirting.

"So, what do you think is in the other apartment?" She asked, looking away from outside the window, frowning.

"I don't know." Rhaegar admitted, lips twitching in humor. "Not a family of Targaryen imposters."

"Then why did you lock the door?" She demanded, brows scrunching in anger.

"I found some rat crap." Rhaegar looked to her, then back to the rainy road. "I thought you'd feel safer."

"They're _jumping mice_ , Rhaegar." She insisted, turning to him fully. "And the dreams aren't _dangerous_. They're the most fun I've had since we moved here." 

"Your school might be fun." Rhaegar tried.

"With those stupid uniforms?" She asked, eyes tearing up some. "Right." It's sarcastic. 

"I'm sorry kid, but you have to give it a try." Rhaegar said as they pulled into the driveway, and up the winding path. "Come on, help me with these bags."

She sighed, but did as told, grabbing out two and letting him take the rest and lead the way to the door, the rain pattering down on them the entire way up the front steps.

A look in the fridge for lunch has Rhaegar pausing. "Looks like we're low on food." He looked to where Daenerys was pouting at the table, head on her crossed arms. "You want to come with me to the store? You can pick something you like."

"Like the gloves?" Daenerys shot him a glare, before looking away.

Rhaegar sighed. "I'm sorry, Daenerys, I just don't have the finances to drop 30 dollars on gloves. If things go well at my new job, I promise, I will make it up to you."

"Whatever." Daenerys used one of Viserys favorite terms. 

Rhaegar seemed sad at the tone, but he went to the door, to head out. "I won't be long." And he's gone.

Daenerys looked at it as it shut. "But I might be." And she grinned, before getting up to go to the key drawer this house had come with. She sifted through them, not seeing her prize before looking around.

And there it was, above her head, on the archway of the dining room. She grabbed a kitchen chair and climbed up, but wasn't tall enough. So she added her stool onto the chair, and tried again. Bingo.

Daenerys hustled with the key in hand to the little door, excitement bubbling up. Once unlocked she opened it and gasped a laugh.

"I knew it was real!"

And with that, she's climbing into the lit tunnel.

**Author's Note:**

> It's just for fun is all, i'm terrified about posting this


End file.
